Westmoreland taxi operator charged over fatal crash granted $7 million bail

Westmoreland taxi operator 47-year-old Delroy Rodney, who is charged over the deaths of five passengers in a crash, was today granted $7 million bail with one, two, or three sureties in the Westmoreland Circuit Court.

In offering bail, Justice Courtney Daye said based on statements, although he fled the scene of the accident, Rodney surrendered to the police within a reasonable time.

Daye also indicated that the accused has a good report in his community and has no previous conviction of dangerous driving, which weigh heavily in his favour for bail.

As part of his bail, Rodney was ordered to surrender his travel documents to the police and to report to the Bluefields Police Station on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m.

He was also barred from driving while on bail and a stop order was imposed.

Rodney, who is being represented by defence lawyers Faith Salmon and Lambert Johnson, was ordered to return to court on February 22 next year.

Rodney, who is charged with five counts of causing death by dangerous driving, has been in custody since November 15.

His charges stemmed from the deaths of 15-year-old schoolgirl Lavecia Forrester and her 39-year-old mother, Petrina Wallace, of Gordon district in Whitehouse, Westmoreland; Oneil Allen, and his mother, 65-year-old Angela Samuel, both of Mount Edgecombe; and 54-year-old Janet Thompson of McAlpine, also in Westmoreland.

It is reported that about 3:30 p.m. on November 13, the five people and another passenger were aboard a grey Toyota Noah being driven by Rodney when the minivan collided with a truck, which was travelling in the opposite direction.

- Albert Ferguson 

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